International Tourism in Peru 2015 – Today we visited a little zoo type location where we could see and feed llamas and alpacas. It was amazing! We could see multiple different types of alpacas and other animals from babies to adults. Some of the animals even came up to the edge of the fence so we could feed them and pet them. It was amazing to feel how different their fur felt compared to sheep and horses that I am used to.

As we walked through the buildings we also saw how you take the wool from the different animals all the way to how you weave a blanket with it. We saw how they use the natural resources around them to create all kinds of different colors. One of the workers there even demonstrated to us how you can use the same base color and just add a little lemon or rock to it to make different shades of red. It was really fascinating. We also got to see and talk to a few local women who take the dyed wool and create multiple different things like clothing, blankets, and scarves. One of the younger girls told me that she had been weaving with the wool since she was seven or eight, which is amazing cause when I was seven or eight I just worried about what games I could get to work on the computer that night. I really learned a lot from the experience and loved seeing all the animals up close. This is definitely a memory that will not be forgotten easily!

Mercedes Hughes

Tourism Management Student

NSCC Pictou Campus